A Russian diplomat was hospitalized on Friday after opening a mail bomb that exploded in what local authorities have described as a terrorist attack.
Dmitry Sitiy heads a center promoting Russian culture located in the Central African Republican (CAR), according to The Moscow Times. Earlier on Friday, he had picked up the parcel without a return address that exploded after he returned to his residence.
Although Sitiy has been hospitalized, the extent of his injuries is unclear, per The Moscow Times.
The diplomat had previously been on the receiving end of death threats, local law enforcement officials have reportedly said.
A CAR law enforcement official told the news agency RIA Novosti that Sitiy had received a “first package, and when he opened it, there were threats,” according to an English translation.
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images; MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/AFP via Getty Images
Authorities within the Russian Foreign Ministry reportedly believe that Friday’s bombing was aimed at hurting ties between the CAR capital of Bangui and Moscow.
A suspect has not yet been named, according to The Moscow Times.
Sitiy apparently had received a previous package that included a picture of his son. It also held a note claiming that in the future, a follow-up parcel would include the child’s head “unless the Russians leave the African continent and open the doors for the French.”
The package that exploded on Friday is also believed to have held a similar note, the Times added. Before he lost consciousness, Sitiy reportedly saw a letter stating that “this is to you from all the French, Russians will get out of Africa.”
After the explosion, the head of a Russian mercenary group purportedly said in a statement: “I have already asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to initiate the procedure to declare France a state sponsor of terrorism.”
Earlier this year, the daughter of a Russian nationalist—who is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin—was killed after a car bomb detonated. Intelligence officials in the U.S. believe that Ukraine was likely to blame for the blast, The New York Times reported in October.
Earlier this month, two Russian airbases were struck by “mysterious explosions.” The Guardian, which said Ukraine was likely behind the explosions, reported that a fuel truck “went up in flames” at one base, killing three people and injuring five others.
Newsweek reported in May that a protester threw red paint onto the face of Russia’s ambassador to Poland to protest the war with Ukraine. Another incident in September saw vandals target the Russian Consulate in New York City with red paint, prompting police to dub it a “possible bias incident.”
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic, for comment.
